FBI sex sting snares Air Force lieutenant colonel in Georgia

MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) — An FBI sex sting has snared a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force, who is now accused of trying to meet a 14-year-old girl at a hotel after the two talked online.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports 47-year-old Air Force Lt. Col. Willie Newson was arrested Tuesday at a Marietta hotel on charges of child exploitation. Authorities say Newson was trying to meet up with a teen he met on a dating app. But the teen was really an undercover officer.

Georgia Department of Defense spokeswoman Desiree Bamba says Newson is on the command staff of the state Air National Guard.

Bamba says Newson was placed on leave pending the investigation’s outcome. It’s unclear if Newson has a lawyer.